This invention pertains generally to sealing access ports to vaults within the earth's surface and more particularly to such apparatus that provides a fused seal integral with the rock formation surrounding the port.
Deep holes and natural salt deposits have been identified as the most promising places to dispose of radioactive waste. This is contingent, however, on providing a good seal for the storage region. A means is desired to assure that the water seepage and damage would be as effectively impeded after access to the storage vault as before opening. The most viable means would be to end up with the identical over-burden and earth/rock covering formations that had existed before being breached by drilling.
Accordingly, means are desired for establishing almost an equivalent rock/earth condition which is redoposited in a fully integrated manner to form an effective seal.